[Macworld]

Post your comments for Struggling with interface issues here

[RhymingDesigner]

Well Chris, so far two people have gone out of their way to click NO to "Recommend?" My slightly sadistic side hopes that when they ask somebody for Mac help, they get the same two-letter response.

[Chris Breen]

RhymingDesigner, on 20 June 2012 - 12:06 PM, said:

Well Chris, so far two people have gone out of their way to click NO to "Recommend?" My slightly sadistic side hopes that when they ask somebody for Mac help, they get the same two-letter response.

We don't take those "No" clicks too seriously. Some people click No because they don't like the content of a story—that Microsoft did this or Android does that. It's not that the story's no good, it's that some people are offended that we don't always act as their personal echo chamber. And with an entry like this, there are those isolated people who think "Everybody knows that!" (ironic, given the questions come from readers) and so click No in a sort of superior way.

[Stewsburntmonkey]

Chris Breen, on 20 June 2012 - 12:46 PM, said:

RhymingDesigner, on 20 June 2012 - 12:06 PM, said:

Well Chris, so far two people have gone out of their way to click NO to "Recommend?" My slightly sadistic side hopes that when they ask somebody for Mac help, they get the same two-letter response.

We don't take those "No" clicks too seriously. Some people click No because they don't like the content of a story—that Microsoft did this or Android does that. It's not that the story's no good, it's that some people are offended that we don't always act as their personal echo chamber. And with an entry like this, there are those isolated people who think "Everybody knows that!" (ironic, given the questions come from readers) and so click No in a sort of superior way.

Although in the cases where a story has more "no" votes than "yes" votes, the story probably is bad.

[Chris Breen]

Stewsburntmonkey, on 20 June 2012 - 01:01 PM, said:

Although in the cases where a story has more "no" votes than "yes" votes, the story probably is bad.

Sometimes, but not always. There are people here who have a knee-jerk reaction to anything that doesn't praise Apple or that fails to denigrate the company's competitors. For example, an even-handed story about something Microsoft's done may be welcomed on PCWorld but slammed here. And it works the same way in reverse. I've written stories that people rate highly on Macworld.com, but when they're imported by PCWorld or Computerworld, the Thumbs Downs fly.

But, that's all for another discussion. Back on topic.

[JonnyComeLately]

I think the "No" votes were most likely due to the recommendation of upgrading to Lion (or even Mountain Lyin') to solve the reader's Mail problems -- considering all the problems the "new" version of Mail has created for its users, I haven't seen very many comments or user experiences that say "Yeah, go with Lion's version of Mail."

[Stewsburntmonkey]

JonnyComeLately, on 20 June 2012 - 01:42 PM, said:

I think the "No" votes were most likely due to the recommendation of upgrading to Lion (or even Mountain Lyin') to solve the reader's Mail problems -- considering all the problems the "new" version of Mail has created for its users, I haven't seen very many comments or user experiences that say "Yeah, go with Lion's version of Mail."

I'd certainly recommend Mail in Lion. It has given me far fewer problems than previous versions (and I infinitely prefer it to the alternatives I tried).

Chris Breen, on 20 June 2012 - 01:08 PM, said:

Sometimes, but not always. There are people here who have a knee-jerk reaction to anything that doesn't praise Apple or that fails to denigrate the company's competitors. For example, an even-handed story about something Microsoft's done may be welcomed on PCWorld but slammed here. And it works the same way in reverse. I've written stories that people rate highly on Macworld.com, but when they're imported by PCWorld or Computerworld, the Thumbs Downs fly.

I just won't rationalize too much. There are quite a few legitimately bad articles posted to all the affiliated sites.

This post has been edited by Stewsburntmonkey: 20 June 2012 - 01:47 PM

[Chris Breen]

JonnyComeLately, on 20 June 2012 - 01:42 PM, said:

I think the "No" votes were most likely due to the recommendation of upgrading to Lion (or even Mountain Lyin') to solve the reader's Mail problems -- considering all the problems the "new" version of Mail has created for its users, I haven't seen very many comments or user experiences that say "Yeah, go with Lion's version of Mail."

Oh I doubt it. Very few people here would view a story like this through such a distorted lens.

[DollyGal]

LOL! I think I enjoyed the comments more than the story!

I've never had the problems listed above, but I've only been a Mac user for 1 1/2 years. (It all started with my husband's iPad. I joke that it was our "gateway drug"). Anyhow, I find the 1st and 3rd one interesting (I have no idea what "Draw Something" is?). I used to do a lot of Windows support and those same issues came up. In office (before the tabbed design) people would move or remove their toolbars and be very confused. I often got calls about the number pad too, because people would accidentally press the "num lock" key and engage the arrows instead of the numbers.

My Mac is a laptop, so I haven't seen a full-sized Mac keyboard and didn't know (never thought about it before) the number pad there could be changed also.

And for the record, I never click "no" or "yes" on the Recommend button. I hardly noticed it before.

[joedcoley]

Maybe you could help me with an issue re. Address Book. I seem to have conflicting groups. If I click the red ribbon I get "iCloud" with a sub group of "All iCloud". Right under this is the entry "iCloud" again with all my groups including an entry "All iCloud" The contents of both "All iCloud entries are not exactly the same. ???

[Jasonmwa]

Well, I clicked "Yes" because I never do (honestly, first article I've ever tagged and I've read many) and because I thought the info given is truly helpful. I knew about the disappearing toolbar (a "feature" I've enacted by mistake several times) but never realized there were keyboard shortcuts like the one to activate Universal Access. On that, though, doesn't tapping option five times restore the number pad? I've recently installed Cheat Sheet (hotkey, press and hold Command) and I never realized before how often I press and hold Command. Knowing these keyboard shortcuts that turn on features is quite important to know.

[n781lc]

Chris, without a question, you are the source of the answers to the unfathomable Apple mentality of changing actions from one Version to another and the insatiable desire to somehow make IOS and OS ? work alike.

MS has made that mistake for a lot of years and finally learned to separate.

Apple people seem to think innovation and change are the end all to everything. Improving and simplifying is of a lot more value.

[Stewsburntmonkey]

n781lc, on 25 June 2012 - 08:17 AM, said:

Chris, without a question, you are the source of the answers to the unfathomable Apple mentality of changing actions from one Version to another and the insatiable desire to somehow make IOS and OS ? work alike.

MS has made that mistake for a lot of years and finally learned to separate.

Apple people seem to think innovation and change are the end all to everything. Improving and simplifying is of a lot more value.

A funny complaint given how many people crow after every Apple announcement that they didn't show off anything truly innovative only evolutionary improvements and simplifications.

[Kenoodle]

As a Website author, my primary interface issue is that "dimensions" is not a Finder column option other than for the "Pictures" folder... unless there's a way that I haven't discovered.